Status of Women committee  The value of CIDA's framework of gender analysis is that its policy objectives are explicitly equality-focused. Their objectives are to advance women's equal participation with men as decision-makers in shaping the sustainable development of society, to support women and girls in the realization of their full human rights, and to reduce gender inequalities in access to and control over the resources and benefits of development.

Status of Women committee  I'm looking at your introduction to “The Budget in Brief 2008”, which outlines the areas that were being prioritized for the federal Budget 2008. I think it would be very useful for the committee to ask whoever is doing the gender-based analysis within the Department of Finance for its gender-based analysis of each of these categories.

Status of Women committee  I think Kathleen and I would like to also add—

Status of Women committee  Thank you, Ms. Demers, for your question. The situation is really difficult. The system is fairly weak. It is very important to improve the tools they have, of course, but it's also a question of political will. At the present time, we don't know whether there is enough political will to ensure women's equality.

Status of Women committee  Yes, exactly. But, in my opinion, the Minister is not the only one who could do that. We need legislation and a legal framework to ensure that the goals are the same all across government. In this way, the goals would be mandatory. The Minister responsible for the Status of Women has a crucial role to play, but that is not enough.

Status of Women committee  Absolutely. We really look forward to your questions. It's wonderful to be here today and have this opportunity to reflect on the federal budget and where we can go from here. As you know, FAFIA, which is an alliance of women's and human rights organizations, has been a long-time advocate for gender budgeting.

Status of Women committee  I would echo some of Debbie's comments around unpaid caregiving. I also think that there have been very few strategic social investments that have benefited women over the last decade, in the midst of a plethora of tax cuts and tax credits. Therefore the whole question of social reinvestment by the federal government needs to be revisited.

Status of Women committee  I would add to Debbie that in order for that to happen, I think the departments have to be better equipped to do that gender-based work, and that work needs to be prioritized within the departments.

Status of Women committee  Obviously one of the greatest impediments to women's full participation in the labour force is access to quality regulated child care. Certainly the employment insurance system as we know it today is often insufficient in meeting the needs of women when they become unemployed, so that's another measure.

Status of Women committee  We truly agree with what you have suggested. However, I believe that it would require, as Ms. Beckton stated, leadership at a very high level. There should be a federal cabinet committee because it is truly important that leadership be exercised at the top. I think it's incumbent upon your committee to have the finance department here, and I assume you may at some point.

Status of Women committee  There was a very comprehensive study by this committee during the last session of Parliament, chaired by Anita Neville, about the deficiencies of gender-based analysis within various departments.

Status of Women committee  Sorry, what did I say?

Status of Women committee  I'm sorry, in the last Parliament. Thank you very much. I appreciate that clarification. So I think we all recognize—and I'd be happy if Ms. Beckton spoke to this as well—that GBA has not been systematically implemented in any department, or in most departments, and that there have been ebbs and flows in terms of the calibre and integration of that analysis.

Status of Women committee  I think some of that leadership must be demonstrated by cabinet, and I think there has to be leadership on the part of the Department of Finance. I think the measures being undertaken by Treasury Board and the Privy Council Office are also important. I understand Treasury Board has made some recommendations that are now being incorporated, and I think those are absolutely essential.

Status of Women committee  Clearly, in the absence of any gender-directed spending outside of Status of Women Canada, what we have recognized over the years from federal budgets is that rarely do they speak to women's interests and women's realities. We were particularly struck in this 2007 federal budget by the use of tax credits as a way to deliver income supports.